What is the best guitar you have ever played?

ewal

Probably my Reverend Manta Ray or partsa Toronado. They're the ones I think of as my sound, and the ones I've written tunes on I'm happiest with.

OilCityPickups

A 1962 Telecaster in red - well it was red when it left the factory, but by the time I played it it had virtually no finish left on it.
I was loaned it for three years back in the 80s. 

I used to go to a local pub that had a comedy night, and there was an older Liverpudlian comic who I got talking to. He soon twigged I was a musician, and told me that in his youth he'd played in lots of 'beat' bands and still had some of his old gear. 
It turned out that he and his wife owned a local small hotel, and to cut a long story short I used to get invited to have an after hours drink in the fellah's hotel bar fairly regularly. One day he brought out this battered Tele and asked me to try it.
It was superb, the neck fitted my hand like a glove and played through the guys AC30 it sounded amazing. I spent ages playing it - then told the guy he was a lucky chap and handed the guitar back, 
He then said 'I haven't played it in years - how'd you like to have it on permanent loan? Seems a shame that it just lives its days in a case'. 
Of course I bit his arm off and it became my main gigging guitar. 
Sadly the chap liked a drink, well to be honest he was an alcoholic ... and within that three years he'd drunk himself to death. 
He died with massive debts, and the hotel was soon up for sale. I put the Tele in it's battered case and took it round to the poor chap's widow.  She said he'd have wanted me to keep it, but I pointed out to her that it was 'worth a few bob' and that she should sell it She reluctantly took it ... and I walked away ... I couldn't afford to pay her a proper price for it. 

And so that was the best guitar I've ever played :-)

DavidRees

my Chris Ecclshall Les Paul [see avatar] which I purchased from Holiday Music in Walthamstow in 1976 and some thieving bastard stole from my flat in 1987. very wide neck, very heavy but glorious. originally built for a classical player I understand [not me] and challenging to play until you got used to it, and then it roared. miss it loads ...

OilCityPickups

DavidRees said:

my Chris Ecclshall Les Paul [see avatar] which I purchased from Holiday Music in Walthamstow in 1976 and some thieving bastard stole from my flat in 1987. very wide neck, very heavy but glorious. originally built for a classical player I understand [not me] and challenging to play until you got used to it, and then it roared. miss it loads ...

Used to be my local music shop when I first moved to London did Holiday Music.

trolley

Black Machine B2 I tried out at The Guitar Show a few years ago- unbelievable quality and playability. And worth whatever it would cost - if I had the money & could persuade Doug to make one.

bertie

an M D Philips  "Ian Elson"  signature

Sarge

My current Westone Prestige, I've been through so many guitars looking for one that ticks all the boxes for my hamfisted approach to playing, and this is it. 

merlin

richardhomer said:

1954 Gold Top Les Paul - totally original - replete with serial number.

Amazing sounding thing.... 

I used to work with a guy called Andy who worked at Vintage and Rare on Denmark Street. I used to pop into the shop fairly often when I was in town. 

One time, the store manager Flea told me "take a seat Merlin, I want to show you something. He went into the back of the shop and brought out a 54 goldtop in original case. I sat on the leather chair and played it for a while. It was beautiful and gorgeously patinated and sounded the bollocks.

He told me it was £8500.

Out of my league at the time but I wish I had bought it. It was spectacular. The neck..... 

SPECTRUM001

As someone who hasn't as yet got on with Gibson (I do want to try an SG Junior), PRS, Ricky etc I am going to have to say it was a Rory Gallagher Custom Shop. The neck was just sublime, in fact the whole thing felt beautiful and resonated for ever. But...I found the pickups too dark. 

So, I guess it wasn't the best guitar I have ever played.

That honour goes to my 2017 Offset Mustang. For the first time, I can safely say it is a 100% keep forever. Been through the mill, and come out the other side thanks to some recent body, neck and bridge magic; it now plays and sounds perfect (the Mojo pickups do help) and inspires me. I just love it (not as much as Mrs001, but getting there).

I have been playing my JM (also refitted) a lot recently, and I got a gorgeous 1966 Mustang last year - but in a fire, the 2017 Mustang is the one I would save. Could be heresy - but it's true.

Gassage

My 1966 Custom Telecaster

Offset

Depending on mood and purpose either my '89 Strat Plus or my '00 Tele Standard.

Devil#20

I wish I'd taken more notice of who made it but it was a 'non-Fender' relic'd butterscotch blackguard Telecaster I played at a guitar show either last year or the year before. I think it was built in Spain, but by who I can't remember. Maybe someone on here will have a clue. Not only did it sound great but the relic'ing was totally believable. I thought it was an old guitar but was assured it was fairly new. It's irked me somewhat that I didn't make a note of the builder at the time. I was just in awe of how good it sounded and how it felt alive in your hands rather than just like a plank of wood like most cheap Tele's do. 

Devil#20

I think I've found them. I can sort of convince myself it was this builder at the time. If you go to the buy a nachocaster page there's a blurred image of Billy Gibbons in the background which seems a good endorsement in itself. Without even looking into it I just know it will be well out of my price range. 

https://www.nachoguitars.com/

Philly_Q

SPECTRUM001 said:

That honour goes to my 2017 Offset Mustang. For the first time, I can safely say it is a 100% keep forever. Been through the mill, and come out the other side thanks to some recent body, neck and bridge magic; it now plays and sounds perfect (the Mojo pickups do help) and inspires me. I just love it (not as much as Mrs001, but getting there).

@SPECTRUM001 I've never had much interest in any Fender models other than Strats and Teles, although Mustangs and Musicmasters are a little more appealing than Jags and JMs.  But that Mustang looks absolutely fantastic, I love it!

bertie

Philly_Q said:

SPECTRUM001 said:

That honour goes to my 2017 Offset Mustang. For the first time, I can safely say it is a 100% keep forever. Been through the mill, and come out the other side thanks to some recent body, neck and bridge magic; it now plays and sounds perfect (the Mojo pickups do help) and inspires me. I just love it (not as much as Mrs001, but getting there).

@SPECTRUM001 I've never had much interest in any Fender models other than Strats and Teles, although Mustangs and Musicmasters are a little more appealing than Jags and JMs.  But that Mustang looks absolutely fantastic, I love it!

sounds even better.................................    I hate to say  (Jem knows the story   )

Fiddlesticks_

I just bought an old black Gretsch off eBay for £180. It looks a bit rough and parts of it are held together by duct tape but it’s the best I’ve ever played. 

dilbert

Mine has to be my USA Peavey Predator that I bought as a bag of bits for £40 off the old MR Forum. I ditched everything except for the body and neck and replaced it all for sub £100. I'm not the world's most experienced guitar tech but it all went together just like it was meant to be. It sounds really 'Stratty' and the neck profile just really feels comfortable for my stubby digits.

It's financial terms, it's probably worth more as firewood than a musical instrument but as far as I'm concerned, it's going nowhere!       

NelsonP

OilCityPickups said:

A 1962 Telecaster in red - well it was red when it left the factory, but by the time I played it it had virtually no finish left on it.
I was loaned it for three years back in the 80s. 

I used to go to a local pub that had a comedy night, and there was an older Liverpudlian comic who I got talking to. He soon twigged I was a musician, and told me that in his youth he'd played in lots of 'beat' bands and still had some of his old gear. 
It turned out that he and his wife owned a local small hotel, and to cut a long story short I used to get invited to have an after hours drink in the fellah's hotel bar fairly regularly. One day he brought out this battered Tele and asked me to try it.
It was superb, the neck fitted my hand like a glove and played through the guys AC30 it sounded amazing. I spent ages playing it - then told the guy he was a lucky chap and handed the guitar back, 
He then said 'I haven't played it in years - how'd you like to have it on permanent loan? Seems a shame that it just lives its days in a case'. 
Of course I bit his arm off and it became my main gigging guitar. 
Sadly the chap liked a drink, well to be honest he was an alcoholic ... and within that three years he'd drunk himself to death. 
He died with massive debts, and the hotel was soon up for sale. I put the Tele in it's battered case and took it round to the poor chap's widow.  She said he'd have wanted me to keep it, but I pointed out to her that it was 'worth a few bob' and that she should sell it She reluctantly took it ... and I walked away ... I couldn't afford to pay her a proper price for it. 

And so that was the best guitar I've ever played :-)

Fabulous story. Karma needs to bring that guitar back your way.

Lestratcaster

A learner's £1400 American standard strat. Felt very smooth and silky (helps it had a good setup). Just a shame it wasn't mine!

gumbothewiddler

I played, albeit unamplified, Steve Vais actual jem ‘evo’ at a meet and greet many years ago (in the days when he first started doing pre show packages with about 30 people).

The guitar was passed around and the neck was just sublime, with glorious frets and a lovely played in feel which surprised me as evo has had a few necks over the years think.